Sea lice

There are two very different kinds of sea lice. The first are parasiticcopepods in the family
Caligidae. They attach externally attach themselves to fish then feed on their skin, tissue and blood.
Sea lice is a major problem for both wild and commercially farmedsalmon as well as other
common salt water fish.

The second type of ‘sea lice’ is actually larvae of thimblejellyfish (linuche unguiculata) that sting when trapped beneath a bathing suit. Also know as seabathers eruption, ‘sea lice’ are smaller than a grain of sand and common along the southern coast of Florida and the Caribbean islands between the months of March and July. Symptoms usually surface about four to ten hours after swimming in the ocean and include a rash or large bumps where stung and intenseitching that can last up to two weeks. More severe reactions include fever, nausea, headaches and muscle spasms.